Task 1 How to Paint an Image

Painting an image in Photoshop involves selecting a brush and applying an effect to an image. This task outlines the basic procedure for working with any of Photoshop's painting tools, regardless of the effect you are applying or the kind of file to which you're applying it. Photoshop makes available the Airbrush, Brush, Rubber Stamp, History/Art History Brush, Eraser, Pencil/Line, and Sharpen/Blur painting tools and the Dodge/Burn/Sponge tools.

1. Select the Brush Tool

Open an image file, and then click the Brush tool in the Photoshop toolbox.

2. Select a Blending Mode

With the Brush tool selected, select a blending mode from the Mode menu in the Options bar.

3. Set the Opacity

The Opacity and Flow sliders control the density of the brushstrokes applied by the brush. Opacity determines the maximum density that will be applied, whereas Flow controls how many passes are needed to reach the maximum density. Click and drag the sliders to a lower setting for more transparent effects; leave them at 100% to paint with a completely opaque stroke.

4. Select a Brush

Click the small arrow next to the Brush icon in the Options bar to open the Brush palette. Move the Master Diameter and Hardness sliders to fine-tune the brush size and softness, or select a preset from the list. To avoid painting the image when you click, click in an empty space in the Options bar to close the Brush palette. Alternatively, pressing the Enter key (Return for Mac) also closes the Brush palette.

5. Paint the Image

To apply the paint effect, move the mouse pointer into the image window and click and drag.

How-To Hints

Manage Your Brushes

Remember that you can control the display of thumbnails in the Brush palette, load saved brush sets, and save custom brushes as presets. To change the thumbnail display options, click and hold the Brush palette menu and select text, thumbnail, or list display options. To save a brush for future use, click the New Preset icon located just under the Brush palette menu.

Setting Brush Size Preferences

You can set the Brush cursor so it appears as the currently selected brush size rather than as a tool icon or a set of crosshairs. This way, you know exactly how large the brush is (its circle icon shows you) in relation to the resolution of the image; you therefore have a better sense of where you will paint the effect. Select Edit, Preferences, Displays & Cursors and click the Normal Brush Tip button in the Painting Cursors section of the dialog box.

Photoshop CS2 offers some new Painting Cursors options in the Preferences dialog box: Use the Full Size Brush Tip to add any feathering radius to the diameter of the cursor; you can indicate the degree of softness by thickening the cursor outline. Enable the Show Crosshair in Brush Tip option to add a crosshair in the center of the cursor.